First Amp ever.

[heklar]

Hi,

I know I will probably get a bit of grief for asking this but I must because I'm stuck. I have a 250w woofer paired with a 50w tweeter and need to power them. I was thinking a chip amp but wasn't to sure to how to go about building the proper amp to do this. I'm not asking to be spoon feed (although it would be nice) what I am asking if any one knows of any online resources I could reference whilst building and choosing parts to put together.

Thank you in advance and sorry if this is a annoying thread.

[Redshift187]

This forum is a great place to read. Elliott Sound Products has a lot of good articles/projects as well. Making some initial decisions helps you get pointed in the right direction. Knowing what speakers you will be using is a great start. Having a budget is good too, because costs can easily get out of hand (I spent ~$400 on a "value" design amp that I had budgeted $150 for, because I had no idea).

For starters, your woofer and tweeter... what impedance are they? Do you happen to also know the sensitivity?

[pacificblue]

A chip amp is a good starting point, because it is relatively easy to build. If it turns out not to be the best match for speakers, it will show you where the issues are. Knowing them will enable you to search more efficiently for a way to solve them.

The power rating of speakers does not tell anything useful when it comes to amplifier choice.
- What impedances do the speakers have?
- What efficiencies do they have?
- What size are they?
- What are your listening habits? Rather loud or civilized? Music or home theater?
- Which frequency range does each speaker have to cover?
- Do you want to work with a passive or with an active crossover?

You have already entered one of the biggest online ressources on the topic. There are many other good ones. Here are only a few.
Linkwitz Lab - Loudspeaker Design
Pass Laboratories
Lenard Audio - Education - Amplifiers.
Elliott Sound Products - The Audio Pages (Main Index)

Search the Forum. There are many other interesting links.

[AndrewT]

Decibel Dungeon is a must read.
Gainclone chip amp index page

Decibel Dungeon DIY hi-fi index.

[heklar]

I have been reading up on the amp the chip amp that is on decibel dungeon. My speakers are 3/4 inch tweeters and the woofers are 6 1/2 inch they are both 8ohm. I brought a crossover with a 2.5kHz(but the woofers can run up to 8,000Hz and the tweeters down to 2,000Hz) .I wanted to build them as active. I wanted to use them when I make tracks to get a good range. The tweeters resonant freq is 2kHz but I can't seem to find the res for the woofers.

[AndrewT]

the resonant frequency of the 6.5inch Bass/Mid will likely be between 30Hz and 70Hz.
It will be different when mounted in a box.

[heklar]

Thanks guys I've found some really helpful links.